


Sleepover

by malmal88



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buck PoV, Buck feels appreciated, Buck is a Good Dad, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing in the kitchen, M/M, buck is good with kids, sleepover for the grownups too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22761280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malmal88/pseuds/malmal88
Summary: Buck volunteers to help Eddie out when Chris is hosting his first sleepover. There are some cute moments, some hairy moments, and it's exhausting. Overall though, things go even better than Buck could have hoped for.From this prompt:From @promptabuddie Chris hosts his first-ever sleepover and Buck and Eddie realize they might be in over their heads.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 43
Kudos: 687





	Sleepover

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short fluff piece to clear my head of the angst of the last fic I wrote. However, it took _forever_ to write, which seems to be a recurring theme with me.
> 
> I hope you like it!

Buck climbs the stairs to the loft two at a time, smiling at the aroma from Bobby cooking that fills the station. He rounds the corner into the kitchen to see Bobby at the stove. “Morning Bobby, smells good, what’s for breakfast?” Buck greets. 

Instead of responding Bobby tilts his head toward the den. Buck looks over to see Eddie sitting on the couch, head in his hands. Suddenly breakfast doesn’t seem so important, and Buck makes his way over to his friend. 

“Hey, Eddie. What’s wrong?” he plops down next to his friend, concern tinging his voice. 

“I fucked up big time,” Eddie groans without looking up.

“What-what happened?” Dred pools in the pit of Buck’s stomach, as a sudden and horrible vision of Eddie street fighting again fills his head. Eddie has seemed better these past few weeks. Things have been so good between them lately-not quite back to how it was before all the drama of the previous year, but almost better somehow. He knows he’s been happier. He thought Eddie had been too. 

Eddie groans again and looks up. “I told Chris he could invite some friends for a sleepover. I let him invite 8 kids, thinking maybe half would be able to come. Every last one said they could come. It is going to be just me and 9 hyperactive 8-year-old boys all afternoon Saturday until Sunday after breakfast.” 

Buck closes his eyes and opens them again slowly, as his stomach settles. “You ass,” he bumps Eddie’s shoulder playfully. “You made it sound like you got caught fighting again.” 

“Buck,” Eddie laments. “What am I supposed to do?” 

“You could say, _‘hey Buck, you busy Saturday? Come save my ass and help me make sure eight kids make it home in one piece.’_ Then I would say _‘Sure Eddie, no problem man. I’d love to be there for Christopher’s first time hosting a sleepover,’_ and then I don’t almost have a heart attack thinking you fell off the wagon.” 

“A little overdramatic, Buck,” Eddie rolls his but smiles. 

“Pot,” Buck gestures to Eddie, “kettle,” he gestures to himself. 

“Yeah, yeah. Seriously though, you would do that?” 

“Of course, man. Not a problem.” 

“Thanks, Buck, really. You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” Eddie smiles softly at his hands. Buck’s heart skips a beat in his chest, and he feels his eyelashes flutter on their own accord. 

He opens his mouth to say something, but his stomach lets out a loud grumble. They both laugh, the moment over. “Come on, let’s go get some breakfast,” he claps a hand to Eddie’s shoulder briefly and stands. If Bobby notices Eddie’s completely changed mood or the small smiles they both wear, he doesn’t mention it. 

\---

Late Saturday morning finds Buck bouncing on his heels as he knocks on the Diaz’s front door with his foot, an overnight bag slung across his shoulders and a large reusable shopping bag in each hand. His gaming system and a few kid-friendly games fill one, while the other is overflowing with snacks for the kids (and adults, if he were being honest with himself). The door swings open to reveal Eddie, still dressed in sweats and a teeshirt, his hair messy from sleep, and a dishrag in his hands. 

“Hey, Buck... What on earth did you bring?” he greets, his lips upturning into a smile as he moves to let Buck in. 

“Some snacks. My Xbox, just in case.” Buck hands Eddie the bag of snacks. 

“I like the way you think, why don’t put your things in my room for now,” he directs as he leads Buck further into the house. 

“Where’s Chris?” 

“Cleaning his room,” Eddie walks into his kitchen and up to a counter. 

“Ah, I wonder how that is going,” Buck walks past Eddie, who is unpacking the bag Buck brought, adding the snacks to a collection of treats already on the counter. 

Buck enters Eddie’s room and drops his bag on the floor by Eddie’s bureau. He turns around and stops, staring at the neatly made bed. Buck wonders if they’ll have to share tonight. Nine kids will take up the entire living room, and Chris’s bed is too small for Buck’s large frame. With no guest room, it’s the only logical option. Buck finds himself feeling strangely nervous about it. He shakes the thoughts out of his head and crosses the hall to check on Chris. 

Buck pokes his head into Chris’s room and smiles at the sight of the boy doing more playing than cleaning. There is a bin of cars next to him, and it looks like he had been putting them away when he got distracted by the ones scattered in front of him. He has the fire engine Buck had given him for Christmas parked next to the mess and is talking aloud as he produces a little plastic firefighter and walks it toward what Buck figures is an accident scene in front of him. Buck smiles as he leans against the doorjamb and watches for a minute. 

Chris turns his head and catches sight of Buck, a large smile overtaking his face. “Hi, Buck! Are you excited for our sleepover?” 

“Sure am buddy. Are you?” Buck asks, sitting on the floor near Chris. 

“Yes! All my friends are coming.”

“I heard. I can’t wait to meet them.”

“They’re excited to meet you too!”

“We should probably get this cleaned up though, so you can be ready.” 

“I started to clean…” He looks at the mess around him with a frown. 

“Yeah, I get distracted sometimes too when I’m cleaning. Why don’t you put the rest of these away while I go see if your dad needs help with anything?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Chris leans into Buck and smiles up at him. Buck drops a kiss to the top of his head and hops up. 

Eddie is mostly ready. The two men dig out some large bowls for the snacks, board games from the depths of Eddie’s hall closet, and some flashlights for the boys to use just for fun. By the time the doorbell rings announcing the arrival of the first guest, the three boys are sitting on the couch watching some cartoon Chris likes and the house is sleepover-ready. Chris lurches off the couch and grabs his crutches from where they lean against the coffee table. Eddie gives him a head start before standing. Buck follows, and the two make it to the door at the same time as Chris. 

Eddie helps him open the door, and Chris claps in excitement when a little boy with dark spiky hair clutching a pillow comes barging in, already talking animatedly with Chris about the evening’s festivities. 

A woman with the same colored hair follows the boy through the door, laughing. “Zach has been talking about this non-stop since we said he could come. I’m Miranda,” she starts to hold her hand out, but pauses looking between Buck and Eddie. 

“I’m Eddie, nice to meet you.” 

“I’m Buck,” they each shake her hand. 

“Nice to meet you both. Zach said you’re both firefighters?” 

“Yes,” Eddie responds, nodding. 

“Chris is so lucky to have dads who are still so involved in spite of how tiring and busy your schedules must be.” Miranda looks past them at where Chris and Zach are still gabbing about all the fun activities Chris has planned for the evening. 

Buck is more surprised than he probably should be by her assumption. He glances at Eddie, unsure of how to respond. “Thanks,” Eddie says, cheeks tinged pink. Buck is a little surprised when he doesn’t correct her. 

“I mean it. My husband would steer clear the house if Zach had this many friends come to stay,” Miranda rolls her eyes, “anyway, he should have everything he needs in his backpack. If you need me I left a card with some emergency numbers in the front pocket.”

“Sounds good,” Eddie smiles. Miranda moves past them and squats down to say goodbye to her son. Buck watches as the little boy gives her a quick hug and kiss before following Chris into the house, neither one looking back. 

Miranda stands laughing and walks back towards them. “Well, I guess I am no longer needed tonight. Good luck boys!” She says cheerily and walks out of the house. 

Buck closes the door behind her and turns to face Eddie, eyebrow raised. Eddie clears his throat and looks everywhere but Buck’s eyes. Before Buck can say anything, they hear another car pull into the driveway. 

“Chris, another friend is here,” Eddie calls out as a car door outside opens and shuts. He swings the door open before the newcomer can knock. Chris and Zach come barrelling into the foyer about the same time another little boy and his mother step through the doorway. 

“Hi, Alex! C’mon, me and Zach took out legos.” Chris grins. Alex moves to follow the other two but is stopped by his mother.

“Alex, you be good. Make sure you listen and use your manners.” She instructs in a no-nonsense tone. Alex nods and then is pulled into a hug. The woman drops a kiss to his forehead, drawing a protest from the boy before she releases him so he can follow his friends. After the boys disappear into the house, the woman turns to Eddie and smiles.

“Looks like you are going to have your hands full tonight. I’m glad to see you’ve found some backup.” She turns her gaze to Buck, “You must be Buck. Chris talks about you about as much as he talks about this one,” she points to Eddie with her thumb. 

“Buck, this is Lori Anderson. Alex is Chris’s best friend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Buck offers a friendly smile. “I’ve heard a lot about your homemade mac and cheese. The recreation attempt was less than successful though.” 

Lori laughs, “I heard all about that. Sounded like it was still a fun night though.”

“Always is,” Buck’s eyes drift towards the living room, where the boys disappeared to. 

“I should get going. Alex has everything he needs in his backpack. You have my number,” Lori starts to step out of the house then pauses. “It was to finally meet you, Buck. This one and his son are keepers, you’re a lucky man,” she smiles one last time before turning out the door, closing it behind her. 

Buck turns to look at Eddie, who is staring resolutely at his shoes, a faint blush on his cheeks again. He can imagine what their relationship must look like to outsiders. Surely though, Chris’s best friend’s mom would know Eddie is not seeing anyone. It makes Buck wonder what exactly Eddie said when he told other parents that Buck was chaperoning the evening with Eddie. Something akin to hope blooms in his heart, that just maybe he and Eddie are on the path to a deeper, more intimate relationship. 

Buck is searching for something to say when a peel of childish laughter rings through the house reminding Buck that there is about to be a house full of kids. Both men turn their heads towards the source of the noise. It won’t be much longer until the house is overrun with children. There is another knock at the door, and Buck shelves his questions for later.

——

Almost every parent who drops off makes some kind of comment similar to the first two, but Buck has yet found a chance (or the words) to question Eddie about it. While all the kids are trickling in, chaos rules the Diaz household, with the boys zipping back and forth between Chris’s bedroom, the living room, and the foyer to greet arriving friends. 

By the time the last guest arrives, there is a pile of backpacks taking up most of Chris’s bedroom, and so the kids are in the living room, huddled around a card game. Buck steps into the living room and pauses, bowl of snacks in hand, to watch. Chris is on the floor surrounded by his friends, a large smile on his face. One of the kids plays a card from his hand and another groans loudly, causing the others to laugh. 

“I come bearing Chex mix,” Buck announces loudly, approaching the group. 

“Thanks, Buck!” Chris grins broadly when Buck nestles the bowl between him and Alex. The other boys echo his sentiment without looking up. 

“You’re welcome buddy,” Buck says, joining Eddie in the dining room. He lowers himself into a chair, wrapping a hand around the coffee cup waiting for him and resting the other on top of the table.

“So far so good,” Buck looks from Eddie to the boys, who are getting increasingly competitive. 

“Yeah. I haven‘t seen Chris this happy in a while,” Eddie sips at his coffee, taking in the scene in front of them.

“He deserves it. He’s handled the past year better than us, that’s for sure.” Buck looks down into his cup. 

Eddie hums in agreement. “He’s an amazing kid. Not sure where he gets it from.” 

“Eddie,” Buck chastises, covering Eddie’s free hand with his own, “he gets it from you,” Buck squeezes Eddie’s hand gently while holding his gaze. 

Eddie’s lip quirks up in a half-smile, “You really think so?” he questions insecurely. 

“Yes,” Buck answers earnestly. Eddie’s smile grows, and he slowly slides his hand so that his fingers interlock with Buck’s. 

The two men stare at their joined hands, watching as Buck absently rubs his thumb back and forth along the side of Eddie’s hand. Eddie’s hand is warm against his own, and Buck is awed at how perfectly they fit together. How right it feels to be sitting at Eddie’s dining table holding his hand while Chris and his friends play in the living room. Buck briefly contemplates telling Eddie this, when an indignant shout followed by uproarious laughter disturbs the moment. Both men look over to see a blonde-haired boy whose name Buck can’t remember, throw his cards down. 

“Stop being a sore loser,” a dark-haired boy - Cal, Buck thinks his name is - snaps. Squabbling breaks out among them. 

“This is what I was afraid of Eddie sighs. He separates their hands, stands, and walks over to the group to put an end to the bickering. Buck watches as he squats down by them, and says something in a quiet voice.

“Let’s do something else,” another kid suggests. The rest of them agree and the card game is abandoned as they all stand and head to Chris’s room to pick out another activity. Eddie stands and shakes his head, before rejoining Buck at the table. 

\---

The next few hours follow a similar pattern and are loud and chaotic. The boys jump from one activity to the next, with Eddie and Buck taking turns to step in and end arguments before they escalate. It’s close to dinner time, and Buck finds himself sitting with a few of the boys on the floor in the living room, legos scattered around them, while Eddie is at the table with the others, paper and crayons spread around them. 

“What do you think boys, are they going to work?” 

“Yeah!” the kids exclaimed in unison. 

“Which do you think we should try first, the catapult or the marble run?” Buck holds up a marble in one hand and little plastic animals (the boys were greatly amused at the idea of launching them with the catapult) in the other. 

“The marble run!” Chris shouts. 

“The host has spoken,” Buck laughs. “The honor is all yours,” Buck hands him the marble. Chris leans forward and drops the marble into the top of the run. The kids around him all seem to hold their breath as they watch the glass ball make its way slowly down the track. When it reaches the bottom they all break out into smiles. 

“Good job boys,” Buck praises. 

“Let’s try the catapult now!” Alex rocks back and forth excitedly. 

“Okay, okay, everyone move over here,” Buck waves to one side of him as he carefully turns the catapult so that it will shoot towards the dining room. The boys all rush to move at the same time, bumping into each other as they shuffle around. 

“Hey Dad, we’re gonna try the catapult. You should watch,” Chris calls out across the room. 

Eddie looks up and smiles, “I can’t wait to see mijo.” He directs the other boys to turn and watch. 

“Let’s see, Alex why don’t you go first this time,” Buck hands him a little plastic penguin. A hush settles over the room as Alex puts the penguin in the basket and carefully pulls down on the arm. When he lets go it springs up, and they all watch as the penguin projectile lands a few feet away. 

“Good job Alex!”

“So cool!” 

“Awesome!” 

Buck and Eddie share a smile at the enthusiasm of the kids. When each boy has taken their turn the floor between the living room and the dining room is littered with zoo animals, and the kids are chattering excitedly about who got theirs to go the farthest. Buck sits back and watches as they take it upon themselves to pick up and try again. He’s lost watching the impromptu competition when the sound of his name draws his attention. 

“Buck is so awesome Chris, you’re so lucky.” 

“My Buck is the best. He and my dad do all kinds of cool things with me,” 

“I wish I had two dads, then maybe at least one would have time for this stuff,” another says sadly. Buck’s heart jumps into his throat, and he snaps his head to see a little boy with dark red hair looking wistfully at the catapult and marble run. 

“You can come and do fun things with us,” Chris puts his hand on his friend's shoulder, his eyes full of empathy. Buck blinks rapidly to stop the tears. This kid is seriously amazing. 

“Thanks, Chris,” the red-haired boy smiles, then moves to take another turn at the catapult. 

Sometimes Buck can’t believe the heart these Diaz boys have. The way they so willing fold people into their family. He knows that he would be lonely and lost without both of them. 

The doorbell rings, interrupting Buck’s introspection. “That’s the pizza. Clean up,” Eddie announces, standing and walking to the door. 

“Hey Chris, let’s put these in your room so we don’t have to take them apart,” Alex suggests, picking up the marble run. The other kids agree, and then there is a flurry of movement as kids are rushing around to clear space to have dinner. Buck leaves them to it, and goes to help Eddie at the door. 

After demolishing the four pizzas Eddie had ordered, the boys ask to use Buck’s Xbox. He only has four controllers, so they take turns playing a racing game. Buck and Eddie sit on the couch to supervise and play with them. It is going well until Jordan has to go to the bathroom and misses his turn.

“I’m back, is it my turn?” Jordan asks walking back into the room. 

“You missed your turn, it’s mine now,” Zach says scrolling through the cars, eyes trained on the television. 

“Not fair. You haven’t started yet.”

“Oh well, you left the room.” 

“Zach, Jordan” Buck says, thinking it might be time to step in. 

“I had to go to the bathroom. Give it to me Zach, it’s my turn,” Jordan reaches over and tries to grab the controller from his hands. Zach has a good grip, and yanks back. Buck watches as the two tug back and forth, getting more angry with each passing moment. 

“Boys you need to stop,” Buck warns, his voice firmer.

“Let go!” 

“No, you let go!” They continue arguing as if Buck hadn’t spoken. The other kids are watching with wide eyes. 

“Enough. Both of you stop now,” Eddie clamps his hand over the controller, ending their tug of war, his voice leaving no room for argument. 

“Sorry Mr. Diaz,” they apologize simultaneously. Buck stares at Eddie in wonder. He’ll definitely have to learn how to do that. “I think they are done with video games for tonight, what do you think, Buck?” 

“I think you’re right Eddie,” Buck agrees.

“Okay then. Pajamas. Go.” Eddie directs. 

“That was some magic you worked, Eddie,” Buck turns off the gaming console and switches back to the television. 

“You’ll get there,” Eddie squeezes Buck’s arm reassuringly. 

“I hope so. All I could picture was the controller flying out of their hands and into the T.V.” 

Eddie laughs, “That would have been bad...Ugh, it’s still a little early for lights out. Movie?”

“Yeah, may as well. Maybe it will settle them down,” Buck agrees. While the kids change, Eddie pops popcorn and Buck cues up a movie. 

For the next two hours, the kids crowd around Eddie and Buck on the sofa and floor as they watch the movie. It’s quiet and cozy, squished next to Eddie, Chris on his other side. Each kid looks adorable holding their own little popcorn bag (Buck had found them at the store and couldn’t resist), tucked under a mishmash of blankets with different movie and cartoon characters on them. Buck feels a muscular arm stretch around his shoulders. He smiles into the darkness and relaxes into Eddie’s side. 

The movie continues, and he hears a giggle at a strange part of the movie. Before he can look to see what shenanigans are happening he hears a loud and conspicuous whisper of, “Chris, your dads are cuddling.” Buck supposes that statement is somewhat accurate. 

“So what dude, don’t your parents?” Zach says from somewhere in front of Buck.

Chris doesn’t respond, and Buck wonders if the boy heard or if he is too enthralled in the movie to notice. He turns his head to see Chris looking at them. When Buck raises an eyebrow questioningly Chris grins, before tucking himself under Buck’s arm. Buck returns the smile then looks to his other side to see Eddie looking at him with an expression that makes him feel warm inside. Their eyes meet in the dark room, and Buck knows that they will have a lot to talk about at some point. He forces himself to look back to the TV and tries not to be distracted by Eddie’s hand that has snuck up the sleeve of his tee-shirt, drawing patterns on his shoulder. 

When the movie ends Buck and Eddie untangle and stand. Eddie sends some of the kids to the bathroom to brush their teeth, while Buck has others set up their sleeping bags on the living room floor. Then they switch. In about half an hour all of the boys are snuggled in their sleeping bags. Eddie announces that the lights have to stay off, and they have to keep it to a whisper but they don’t have to sleep yet. 

The two men stand in the kitchen taking in the damage. Half-empty bowls of snacks are strewn about. The pizza boxes are piled up on the counter, and paper plates fill the trash can. The two men work quietly to clean up some of the mess, so they at least have room to cook breakfast in the morning. The whole time they can hear the boys attempting to whisper in the living room. 

When that is done Buck follows Eddie down the hall. They peek into Chris’s bedroom, and Eddie sighs loudly. The floor and bed are covered in the belongings of Chris’s friends. “The good news is that all of that will leave tomorrow with the boys,” Buck closes the door, leads Eddie away from the mess and into his bedroom. Buck scrubs his hand over his face as he throws himself onto the bed. “I’m starting to understand why you were so nervous about this. My god, they don’t run out of energy,” Buck complains as Eddie enters the room and closes the door behind him. 

Eddie chuckles as he pulls pajamas out of his dresser. “It hasn’t been too bad though. Thanks again, for helping me with this.”

“Anytime man,” Buck mutters, closing his eyes. 

“I’m gonna go change and use the bathroom,” Eddie holds up his sweats, then quietly slips out the door. 

With a sigh, Buck heaves himself into a sitting position and grabs his own sleep pants from his bag. He changes quickly, then sits waiting at the foot of the bed. He taps his thighs nervously and surveys the room. 

On the rare occasion he spends the night at Eddie’s, he does so on the couch. It’s not often he’s been in Eddie’s bedroom. Curiosity getting the better of him, Buck stands and wanders over to the dresser. The top of it is sparse, home to only two framed pictures and a single tray. In the tray sits Eddie’s watches. The large clunky waterproof one he wears to work, and another that looks nicer, clearly meant for special occasions. 

Buck looks at the photos and smiles. One is of Eddie sitting with Christopher in his lap. The boy must have been two or three in the picture. Buck looks closer at the second photo and his breath hitches. Set in a simple wooden frame is a picture of the three of them; taken at the firehouse at the bottom of a fire pole during Eddie’s first month with the 118. Buck’s hand moves with a mind of its own and lifts the photo from where it sits. Buck rubs his thumb gently across the glass, lost in the memory the picture evokes. 

“It’s one of my favorites. It reminds me of the day I knew for sure that this place could be home for me and Chris; made me decide that I would stay.” Eddie appears behind Buck. 

Buck jumps, not having heard him reenter the room, and gently sets the photo back in its spot. “I’m glad you stayed,” Buck turns to face Eddie and finds himself almost chest to chest with the other man, suddenly very aware that neither of them has chosen to put on a shirt. Eddie is looking at him with the same expression he had earlier on the couch. Between the softness of Eddie’s eyes and the intimacy of their state of undress, Buck feels himself holding his breath. 

“Me too,” Eddie’s eyes flit down to Buck’s lips then back up to his eyes. 

Buck swallows as he can feel his heart start to thump erratically. “I - I should go use the bathroom so we can sleep,” he breathes out. Eddie nods and takes a small step back so Buck can retreat. Still, their bare shoulders brush as Buck moves past him and out the door. 

Once safely in the privacy of the bathroom Buck exhales shakily. He rests his palms on the cool porcelain of the sink, leaning his weight against it. Reaching out he turns on the cold tap and splashes some water on his face, then sloughs off the excess with his hands. The cold water helps, and his heart rate slows. He quickly takes care of the rest of his business and steps back into the hall.

The sounds of muffled laughter and whispering disrupt the quiet stillness that usually is usually found in the Diaz household this late. Buck pauses to listen, and smiles at Chris’s unique giggle. Satisfied that while not asleep, the boys seem to be getting along, Buck quietly makes his way back to Eddie’s bedroom. 

Eddie is laying in bed scrolling through his phone. The overhead light is turned off in favor of the lamp on his nightstand, casting shadows across the walls. Eddie looks up at the sounds of the door clicking shut, smiles warmly, and there goes Buck’s heart again. He reminds himself to breathe and moves over to the bed. He stops next to it and busies himself with plugging his phone in, a cord sitting ready on the little table that he isn’t sure was there last time he had been in Eddie’s room. That done there are no more excuses to delay, and so climbs into the bed, and pulls the covers up around him. 

“Ready for lights out?” Eddie queries. 

“Yeah, I’m wiped,” Buck yawns. 

Eddie chuckles, then sets his phone down and flicks off the light. The two men settle down into the bed, shifting around to get comfortable. Eddie’s bed is not small, but it also isn’t as large as Buck’s, and Buck is acutely aware of Eddie’s proximity to him - that while Buck is on his side facing the wall, Eddie is on his side facing him. Buck is tempted to shuffle backward closer to his friend, but he doesn’t. Instead, he closes his eyes and lets the sound of Eddie’s breathing start to lull him to sleep. He can feel himself slipping under when the bed moves. Then a hand is on his hip, a strong chest presses against his back, and knees tuck into the backsides of his own. Warmth radiates from each point of contact; his whole back feels like he’s been laying in the sun on a warm summer day. It has his whole body relaxing; the most cared for he’s felt in a long time. 

“This okay?” Eddie mumbles. 

“Mm, ‘ts nice,” Buck uses a hand to cover Eddie’s where it rests on his hip, and tangles their fingers as best he can. Buck smiles sleepily as Eddie rests his forehead on the back of his neck. The last sensation he is aware of as sleep pulls him under is the featherlight kiss that Eddie places there. 

\---

Buck blearily blinks awake, disturbed from slumber by the morning sun, the remnants of a strange dream fading fast from his memory. He shifted in sleep and is now laying on his back. Eddie is close by on his stomach, his arm is tossed across Buck’s body, his hand splayed wide around Buck’s waist. One of Buck’s arms is trapped between the two men. He flexes his fingers and finds himself with a handful of Eddie’s hard, muscular thigh. Eddie makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a moan, and shifts closer, his hand skimming down Buck’s side to his hip. The movement wedges Buck’s hand in between Eddie’s legs, and Eddie makes a small noise of approval. The sounds Eddie make have his own body reacting. Buck looks up at the ceiling, silently pleading with any deity that may exist for it to stop. Eddie’s hand slips further down his body to his ass, and Buck’s body twitches in response. He can’t stop the embarrassing noise he makes. The sound and movement has Eddie’s eyes fluttering open partway.

Buck is sure he has a deer in the headlights expression, and Eddie’s throaty, sleepy chuckle confirms it. Eddie just glides his hand back up to Buck’s hip and closes his eyes again. If that’s how he wants to play this, fine, Buck has no objections to that. He’ll take any excuse to touch Eddie. 

He pulls his hand out from between Eddie’s thighs slowly, and slides it under Eddie’s body, tugging the other man closer. Eddie moves willingly to lay against Buck’s chest, his head tucked under Buck’s chin. Buck slides a leg in between the other man’s so Eddie’s groin is tight against Buck’s thigh. He slides the arm that is trapped under Eddie down, enabling his fingers to dance at the waistband of Eddie’s sleep pants. He runs his free hand up Eddie’s arm, holding him in place. 

Buck swears he can _feel_ Eddie grin against him, right before Eddie grinds down into Buck’s thigh, then runs his hand over Buck’s abs, tracing the indentations of each defined muscle with the pads of his fingers. Buck shivers in pleasure. He rubs the leg wedged between Eddie’s up and down slowly while splaying his hand wide across Eddie’s lower back and teasing the skin there. Buck smirks when he feels the other man start to react.

Eddie’s hand stills its movement on Buck’s abs, and slowly slides upwards, his fingers ghosting over Buck’s nipple, teasing it briefly before moving higher up over Buck’s shoulders and behind his neck. Eddie sucks an open-mouthed kiss against Buck’s collar bone, then against his neck. Buck turns his head to find brown eyes peering up at him.

On instinct, Buck lifts his head off the pillow and tilts it down. The angle is awkward, and stiff but Eddie follows the silent request. Pushing up with the hand not at Buck’s neck, Eddie heaves forward and captures Buck’s lips in a searing kiss. It is open-mouthed and messy - pent up attraction and emotions flowing between them. 

Buck uses the leg still between Eddie’s to wedge them apart and guide one over his body. Eddie moves without breaking the kiss, straddling Buck. With both arms now free, Buck grabs Eddie by the waist, his fingers clenching against the taut skin. He lets his hands slide down to Eddie’s hips then cants his own upward while pushing Eddie down. Eddie makes a filthy sound in the back of his throat, and pulls his mouth away from Buck.

The two men stare wide-eyed at each other, chests heaving as they catch their breath. Buck’s tongue darts out from his mouth, and licks the lingering taste of Eddie from his lips. Eddie’s eyes - impossibly blown wide with pleasure - track the movement, groaning. Buck swallows hard when Eddie leans down and nips at his jaw before kissing Buck again, slower this time. Both of Buck’s hands dip into Eddie’s pants, and he squeezes at the same time Eddie drags a thumb across Buck’s nipple. Buck pulls his hands up and hooks his thumbs into the elastic waistband. He is just about to yank downwards when they hear the bathroom door slam shut. 

The two reluctantly pull apart, and Eddie sits back on Buck’s thighs. “We have a living room full of kids,” Eddie pants. 

“Who probably all want breakfast soon.” 

“Bedroom door is not locked,” Eddie mutters tilting his head backward.

“To be continued?” Buck asks shyly. 

“Oh yeah,” Eddie looks Buck up and down, the heat in his gaze doing little to help Buck come down from his lust-fueled high. He rolls off of Buck and climbs out of bed. Buck sits up and watches as he fishes through his bureau, finds and pulls out two shirts, then throws one to him. Buck sighs and pulls it on, then heaves himself out of bed. The two men pause at the door, and Buck can’t help but pull Eddie up for one last gentle kiss before they step out of the room. 

\---

Eddie and Buck walk into the living to find most of the kids sitting up in their sleeping bags watching cartoons. Satisfied that all is well, they move to the kitchen to start on breakfast. Buck pulls out a box of pancake mix while Eddie grabs eggs from the fridge, and the two men set to work whipping up breakfast. Before long the sizzling of cooking food and the smell of fresh pancakes wafts through the house, pulling the kids like a siren’s call to the dining room table. 

A couple of kids, Chris included, wander into the kitchen to snoop and Eddie has them get the butter, syrup, and juice boxes out of the fridge and bring them to the table. Eddie and Buck finish cooking and divvy up the food onto paper plates. They somehow get all nine plates out to the kids in one trip without dropping. Eddie makes up plates for the two of them while Buck pours them each a cup of coffee. 

Buck and Eddie sit on the couch to eat, eyes trained on the kids at the table. They are surprisingly quiet while they eat, and it’s clear that they were up late talking. Chris looks like he is ready to fall asleep where he sits at the table, and Buck has a feeling he is going to crash as soon as his last friend leaves. 

As kids finish eating Buck and Eddie direct them to get dressed and pack up their stuff, and before long Eddie’s living room no longer looks like a camp cabin. Once all the kids are ready Eddie lets them pick out another movie to watch. Then Eddie and Buck take turns getting ready themselves. Buck glances at the clock on the cable box and holds back a sigh of relief. They should all be getting picked up soon.

While the kids are distracted by the TV, Buck and Eddie clean up the kitchen. Thanks to the admittedly non-environmentally friendly option of disposable plates and forks, there aren’t many dishes to wash. Eddie stands at the sink while Buck dries and puts away the cookware and utensils used to make breakfast. Then he stacks up the pizza boxes and carries them in one hand and the full garbage bag in the other out the back door and shoves all of it into Eddie’s garbage bins. Stepping back into the kitchen, Buck is hit with a sense of pride. It is back to its pristine condition.

“Looking at your kitchen you would never guess we hosted a bunch of kids for a sleepover,” Buck walks over to where Eddie is pouring himself a second cup of coffee, pressing up against him looking over his shoulder.

“Mmm. We make a good team,” Eddie leans back into Buck’s chest as he sips on his coffee. 

“That smells good. Where’s mine?” 

“In the pot.” 

“Rude,” Buck whispers in his ear, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s waist. Eddie smirks and just takes another sip of the coffee, making an exaggerated sigh. “Wow. Extra rude,” Buck removes one arm and snatches the cup from his hands, then spins around quickly, taking a long drag of the coffee. He immediately regrets his choice and has to force himself to swallow. “Blech. My god Diaz, how can you drink this?” 

Eddie laughs loudly, reaches around Buck and grabs his cup back. “That’s what you get for taking my coffee, Buckley” Still laughing Eddie turns around and puts his cup on the counter, then pulls a clean mug from the cabinet. Buck smiles while he watches Eddie make him a cup of coffee, just the way he likes it. When Eddie presses the warm mug into his hands he can’t help but lean down and steal a kiss. What is supposed to be a quick peck quickly takes on a life of its own, and Buck loses himself in the bitter taste of coffee on Eddie’s tongue. 

“Hey Mr. Diaz, do you know when my -” a child’s voice startles the two men apart. Buck jumps back from Eddie, hands clenching his mug tightly. He spins around to see Nick standing there, eyes wide in shock. 

Eddie clears his throat. “Hey Nick, what’s up buddy?” he asks, his voice an octave higher than normal. Buck hides his grin in his coffee cup. 

“I - I’m sorry I interrupted.”

“It’s okay Nick. What did you need?”

“I um...oh yeah! I wanted to know when my dad was gonna be here?”

Eddie checks his watch, “He should be here in less than an hour.” 

“Thanks, Mr. Diaz.” Nick turns and flees from the kitchen. 

“Well, that was awkward.” 

“Yup.”

Panic fills Eddie’s features. “Oh god. I hope he doesn’t say anything to Chris. We really should be the ones to tell him.” 

“Nah. Did you see his face? He was too embarrassed.” The two men peek into the living room and sure enough, Nick is sitting back with the other kids as if nothing happened. 

“You’re probably right.”

“I’m always right,” Buck boasts. 

Eddie rolls his eyes, “keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll become true,” Eddie scoffs as the two head into the dining room. They sit at the table and drink their coffee in comfortable silence, eyes on the kids who are all quietly watching TV. 

Soon the parents start arriving. Thankfully conversations are short as kids trudge out the door, exhausted after what Buck thinks has been a successful sleepover. When Eddie closes the door behind the last departing child, Buck sighs happily. 

“You thought I was being overdramatic when I was nervous about this,” Eddie chuckles and wraps an arm around his waist. 

“Nervous? You were panicking,” Buck smiles fondly. “It wasn’t that bad. It was, however, exhausting. I don’t know about you but I could use a nap.” 

“I think all three of us probably could,” Eddie agrees, pulling Buck up against his side and placing a kiss to his temple. Buck wraps his arm around Eddie’s shoulders and leans in closer. 

“I bet Chris is already asleep. He didn’t even come to say goodbye to his last two friends.” The two walk linked into the living room, where sure enough Chris is passed out asleep on the couch. He’s laying on his back, his head resting on the arm of the sofa. They stand there just watching his chest rise and fall evenly, enjoying the peacefulness. 

“We should move him to his bed,” Eddie murmurs eventually. 

“You get him, I’ll go make sure his bed is accessible.” Buck whispers back. Eddie nods, and the two separate. 

Buck is just finishing turning down the sheets on Chris’s bed when Eddie walks in, the boy sleeping in his arms. He sets him down gently, takes off his glasses, and pulls the covers up. Then he smooths back Chris’s hair and places a gentle kiss to his forehead. Eddie steps back to let Buck do the same. Buck is about to step back when Chris stirs, and his eyes blink open. 

“Dad? Buck?” 

“Shh, go back to sleep Chris,” Buck murmurs. 

“Okay. Love you both.”

“We love you too, little man,” Buck runs his fingers through Chris’s curls. Chris nods back off, and the two men quietly slip out of the bedroom. 

“I think, that his first sleepover was successful,” Eddie mumbles as they walk back to the living room. 

“It went really well, Chris clearly had a great time. No injuries or tears,” Buck slumps down onto the couch. Eddie grabs the remote then settles next to him, throwing his arm around Buck’s shoulders. Buck leans in close, letting his weight fall against Eddie’s side. 

“Just that one awkward moment in the kitchen,” Eddie grimaces as he clicks off the television and tosses the remote to the coffee table. 

“Though you know, since all of their parents seemed to think that I was your boyfriend when they dropped off, I don’t think Nick’s dad will be all that surprised on the off chance he tells him about it,” Buck raises his eyebrow at Eddie. 

Eddie blushes, “I’m sure I have no idea what you are talking about,” he refuses to meet Buck’s gaze. 

“Uh-huh. You know you are about as good a liar as your son - and Chris couldn’t lie if he wanted to.” 

“Well,” Eddie clears his throat, “I’m not sure why this even matters anymore. It’s the truth now.” Eddie says it as a statement, but Buck can hear the uncertainty in his voice. 

Buck lifts a hand up and turns Eddie’s head so they are making eye contact. “Yes, Eddie, it’s the truth now,” he affirms smiling fondly. Buck runs his thumb across Eddie’s checkbone as he watches different emotions flicker across his partner’s eyes. When Eddie finally smiles, Buck slides his hand into his hair and tugs him in for a kiss. They have a lot to figure out yet. But Buck chooses to push all thoughts to the side and just enjoy this quiet, perfect moment.

**Author's Note:**

> -The lego STEM projects Buck does with the kids are real, and I found them here: https://frugalfun4boys.com/lego-projects-for-kids/
> 
> \- Edited only by myself and Grammarly
> 
> \- Kudos and comments are highly appreciated and give me life :D


End file.
